Commemorate Upstanders with Graphic Panels | EL Education Curriculum

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.1, W.8.3b

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RI.8.4, RI.8.10, W.8.4, W.8.10, L.8.4, L.8.6

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine how an artist makes inferences and uses narrative techniques to "explode a moment" from a nonfiction text about the Holocaust in graphic panels. (RI.8.1, W.8.3b)
  • I can make inferences and use narrative techniques to "explode a moment" from a nonfiction text about the Holocaust in graphic panels. (RI.8.1, W.8.3b)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket
  • Work Time B: Create Graphic Panels (W.8.3b)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - W.8.3b (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Deconstruct Model Graphic Panels - RI.8.1 (10 minutes)

B. Create Graphic Panels - W.8.3b (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Pair Share: Graphic Panels - W.8.3b (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Independent Research Reading: Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • W.8.3b – Opening A: Students analyze how graphic frames from Maus I use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
  • RI.8.1 – Work Time A: Students draw inferences from a nonfiction Holocaust text and analyze how those inferences are represented in a model graphic panel.
  • W.8.3b – Work Time A: Students analyze how a model graphic panel uses narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and characters in a graphic format.
  • RI.8.1 – Work Time B: Students draw inferences from a nonfiction Holocaust text from Lessons 1–4 and create a graphic panel that represents those inferences.
  • W.8.3b – Work Time B: Students create their own graphic panel based on an upstander from Lessons 1–4, using narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters in a graphic format.
  • W.8.3b – Closing and Assessment A: Students consider how the narrative techniques of dialogue, description, and reflection they used to create their graphic panels can be used in their writing.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Provide the opportunity for students to create multiple pages, representing more than one text from Lessons 1–4.
  • Allow students to display their reflection paragraphs alongside their graphic panel for display in the classroom or other spaces of the school.
  • Collaborating with a studio art teacher to provide additional support on drawing and sketching aspects of creating graphic panels could enhance student work and confidence.
  • Students can find examples of other graphic novels to share in small groups or the class a whole.
  • Students can create additional graphic panels of texts they have read for independent research reading.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In Lessons 1–4 students read informational texts about upstanders in the Holocaust. Students use the knowledge built in these lessons to create graphic panels, applying what they have learned and observed about graphic novels throughout this module.

Support All Students

  • Presenting learning targets and directions in writing, orally, and if possible, accompanied by symbols will help students to understand the language within them. ▲
  • Students may need additional support connecting the important ideas in the text to their graphic panels. Provide time for partners to brainstorm and then talk out what they will represent in their panels prior to drafting. ▲
  • Some students might be apprehensive about the drawing aspect in today’s lesson. Reassure them that expertise in drawing is not required to create graphic panels that align to their reflection.
  • Record or have students record share-outs visually to reinforce oral discussion of important criteria in graphic novels. ▲
  • Convert Create Graphic Panels to a digital format for students who would benefit from using online drawing tools, such as the drawing features on Google docs.

Assessment Guidance

  • Review the graphic panels and provide feedback to students, preparing them for the graphic panels they will create in the performance task.

Down the Road

  • In Lessons 12–14 students will prepare for their performance task by creating graphic panels that align to a critical moment in their fictional upstander's life. The experience they get analyzing model graphic panels and drawing some in this lesson will support their work for the performance task. The work with W.8.3b in this lesson will also help to strengthen students’ abilities to employ narrative techniques when drafting their fictional upstander narrative interviews.

In Advance

  • Prepare
    • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 6
    • Model Graphic Panels: January 18, 1943
    • Create Graphic Panels
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 6 at each student's workspace.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time B: As needed, convert Create Graphic Panels to a digital format for student use.
  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.A.1, 8.I.A.3, and 8.II.A.1.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson builds upon the work students have done in the previous lessons with reading and writing about upstanders. Students take the knowledge they built during these earlier lessons and represent it in an alternate format—a graphic panel. Students will also apply their learning from Unit 1 lessons regarding the craft and style of graphic novels to support the creation of their own graphic panels. Students can also provide peer feedback for one another during pair share to support each other in creating effective graphic panels.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to articulate meaningful feedback for peers during the peer feedback portion of the lesson in Closing and Assessment A. Consider modeling an effective pair share before students begin to ensure that students understand what is expected of them and how they can be effective during the discussion.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • "Marek Edelman Obituary" Excerpt (one for display; from Module 3, Unit 3, Lesson 3, Work Time A)
  • Graphic Novel Format anchor chart (one for display; from Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time D)
  • Maus I (text; one per student; from Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • "Marek Edelman Obituary" Excerpt (one per student; from Module 3, Unit 3, Lesson 3, Work Time A)
  • Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 6 (example for teacher reference)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 6 (one per student)
  • Model Graphic Panels: January 18, 1943 (one per student and one for display)
  • Create Graphic Panels (one per student)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner - W.8.3b (10 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 6. Prompt students to Turn and Talk about their answers to the entrance ticket. Cold-call students to share out. Refer to the Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 6 (example for teacher reference).
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as in previous lessons.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • In Opening A, read one learning target at a time, stopping after each one has been read to ask students what they think they will be doing in this lesson, which introduces a new series of tasks related to creating a graphic panel. Provide sentence frames with temporal words for support, helping students to delineate the sequence of tasks that will be carried out to achieve each learning target, as well as encouraging the use of temporal words (Example: "First, we will ______. Next, we will _____. Last, we will _____. ")

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Deconstruct Model Graphic Panels - RI.8.1 (10 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can determine how an artist makes inferences and uses narrative techniques to 'explode a moment' from a nonfiction text about the Holocaust in graphic panels."

  • Tell students that they will analyze graphic panels that align to the text they read in Lesson 3 to make connections between inferences from the text and the narrative techniques used in the panels they see represented. Explain to students that while the graphic panels are based on an informational text, the "exploded moment" is based on inferences that the artist has made from the text.
  • Prompt students to find a partner and retrieve "Marek Edelman Obituary" Excerpt. Invite partners to alternate reading paragraph 4 of the text aloud.
  • Display and distribute the Model Graphic Panels: January 18, 1943. Tell students that writers use a technique to "explode a moment" to enhance their writing. To use this technique, writers often slow down pacing to focus in on a specific moment using narrative techniques like description, dialogue, and reflection to make an event or experience come alive to the reader. Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

"What moment from the text did the artist explode?" (The artist exploded the moment from "Marek Edelman Obituary" Excerpt when Edelman decided he must act and proceeded to make a plan to open fire on the Nazis.)

"What can you infer about how Marek Edelman and the soldiers were feeling in this moment?" (Answers will vary but may include confidence, fear, or excitement.)

"How did the artist use description, reflection, and dialogue to develop this exploded moment? What inferences did the artist make from the text to create each panel?" (Answers will vary but may include that the author used description when including the words "the fighters were skeptical," reflection with Edelman's speech bubble that says, "It is the right thing to do . . ." and more dialogue such as "Let's go!!!")

  • Refocus the class as a whole and review the narrative techniques used by the artist in each panel:
    • Panel 1: This panel shows reflection; Marek Edelman is shown in a "thinking pose," his hand on his chin, reflecting on the circumstances the ZOB is facing. The artist inferred that Edelman would have reflected carefully when making his decision to lead his troops into battle.
    • Panel 2: This panel visually provides description through details: we see a close-up version of a plan. The artist has inferred that Edelman carefully planned out the actions he would take.
    • Panel 3: This panel uses the technique of dialogue and visual description through details. Edelman is wearing a uniform and has a calm smile on his face. The artist has made an inference about what Edelman might have said to the soldiers to inspire them to join him in action and the confidence he felt while doing so.
    • Panel 4: This panel includes reflection and more visual description through details; we see the thoughts of the soldiers, and they are wearing uniforms. The artist inferred that they would be wondering how they would carry out what Edelman had planned.
    • Panel 5: This panel uses dialogue and descriptive detail. Edelman is holding the written plan in his hand. The artist made another inference about what Edelman might have said to the soldiers to convince them to carry out his plan.
    • Panel 6: This panel includes more dialogue. The artist inferred that the soldiers would cry out in determination.
  • Prompt students to Turn and Talk:

"How do these graphic panels further show the habits of character Marek Edelman displayed as an upstander?" (Answers will vary, but may include that it draws attention to the fact that displayed integrity and had compassion for others. He took action as a way to respect others who could not act.)

  • Explain to the class that the author of "Marek Edelman Obituary" Excerpt emphasizes the dignity of those who organized and resisted the Nazis in hopes of a few more days of life. Using narrative techniques in graphic panels helps the reader more fully understand this person, the events in his life, and the importance of the actions they took to resist the Nazis.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time A, invite students to color-code the Model Graphic Panels and a summary of the text to highlight how the two correlate and how the exploded moment has been captured in the graphic panels in tangible ways.

For Heavier Support

  • Before Work Time A, consider color-coding the Model Graphic Panels and a summary of the text to highlight for students how the two correlate and how the exploded moment has been captured in the graphic panels in tangible ways.

B. Create Graphic Panels - W.8.3b (20 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can make inferences and use narrative techniques to 'explode a moment' from a nonfiction text about the Holocaust in graphic panels."

  • Display and distribute the Create Graphic Panels handout to students.
  • Inform students that they will create their own graphic panel of a moment that illustrates the characteristics of an upstander from a text they read in Lessons 1-4. Explain to students that they should use a moment that is different from the one they saw in the model.
  • Ask students to Turn and Talk:

"What text from Lessons 1-4 would you like to use for your graphic panels?" (Answers will vary.)

"Think about pacing. Which specific moment that illustrates characteristics of an upstander can you slow down and explode?" (Answers will vary.)

"What inferences can you make about what the upstander and other characters were experiencing and how they were feeling in this moment?" (Answers will vary.)

"What dialogue, detail, and reflection will you include in your panels to represent the inferences you make?" (Answers will vary.)

"How will you show how the upstander displayed habits of character?" (Answers will vary.)

  • Ask students to retrieve the appropriate text that corresponds to the moment they want to explode.
  • Invite students to join a partner, and have them read aloud the section of the text they have chosen. Give time for students to brainstorm what specific moment from the text they will "explode" and then talk through what they will include in each panel and how they will use narrative technique to visually represent the moment. Encourage students to refer back to the text reflection they wrote in Lessons 1-4 for the text they have selected, as a resource.
  • Direct students to review the Graphic Novel Format anchor chart, and invite them to Turn and Talk:

"What important aspects of this chart will you consider when creating your own graphic panels?" (Responses will vary, but may include the following: adding words in bold to accentuate them, working on matching facial expressions to the dialogue spoken, using "tails" to indicate who is speaking, etc.)

  • Use a total participation technique to elicit responses from the group, highlighting any important considerations students should use in their graphic panels that would enhance their work.
  • Invite students to begin working on their panels.
  • Circulate to support students as they draft their panels. Note any trends to highlight with the whole group lesson.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.
  • N/A

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Pair Share: Graphic Panels - W.8.3b (5 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

"I can make inferences and use narrative techniques to 'explode a moment' from a nonfiction text about the Holocaust in a graphic panel."

  • Strategically group students into pairs.
  • Prompt students to share their graphic panels with their partners and to consider how the exploded moment illustrates the habits of character shown by an upstander during the Holocaust. Ask students to Turn and Talk:

"How does your graphic panel capture how an upstander from the Holocaust displayed habits of character?" (Answers will vary.)

  • Encourage students to refer to the Work to Become Ethical People anchor chart, as needed, while discussing the question. As time permits use Conversation Cues Goal 3: Help students deepen their thinking. Collect responses from the class regarding their classmates' graphic panels, by asking questions like the ones below:

"Why do you think that?" (Answers will vary.)

"What in the graphic panel makes you think so?" (Answers will vary.)

  • Invite students to consider how the narrative techniques they used in creating a graphic panel can transfer be used in writing. Ask students to Turn and Talk:

"Today you used narrative techniques to visually explode a moment in graphic panels. How can you use these same narrative techniques of reflection, dialogue, and description in your writing?" (Answers will vary.)

  • Invite students to reflect on the habits of character focus in this lesson in their work to be respectful partners, discussing what went well and what could be improved next time.

For Lighter Support

  • Before students begin the pair share, invite the class to work together to generate sentence frames that can be used to respond to the questions. Students may also wish to create additional sentence stems that will allow students to discuss specific elements of the graphic panel creation in terms of design and content.

For Heavier Support

  • Help students to navigate the discussion during the pair share exchange by providing sentence starters that students can use to respond to the questions:
    • My graphic panels capture how an upstander from the Holocaust displayed habits of character by . . .
    • I can use narrative techniques of reflection, dialogue, and description in my writing by . . .

Homework

Homework

A. Independent Research Reading

  • Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

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